Homeschoolers in Utah are celebrating the recently passed homeschool law. Utah used to have an oppressive “approval” requirement but it is now one of the best laws in the country. Nowhere is the new law having more effect than in Tooele County.

Over the past year, HSLDA has had much contact with Sandra Shepard, the Director of Elementary Education for Tooele County. She has proven herself a very zealous educator, to the point of being insistent on demands that went beyond the approval requirements that homeschoolers have been subject to in past years. At the end of last year, HSLDA staff “agreed to disagree” with her regarding the old homeschool law, and HSLDA advised members that they were not obligated to comply with her extra-legal demands.

This year, Ms. Shepard again distributed her homeschool packet, demanding that homeschoolers fill out her “application” to homeschool. Thanks to the new law, however, there can no longer be any reasonable disagreement as to the requirements of homeschool law. HSLDA has contacted Ms. Shepard with the details of the new law, and we are hoping that she will revise her homeschool information in order to comply with the changes.

HSLDA is asking all homeschoolers in Utah to be alert for districts that may not be aware of the change in the law. If your district asks you to “apply” for “permission” to homeschool, please contact us with that information, so that we can make sure every district is aware of the new law.